Erin Seils |
Since the 20th of February, when David Cameron confirmed the date for the UK’s EU referendum vote, there has been one question on many minds:
“What should I vote for?”
Hopefully this article will help you to make your decision.
So the first question is, who can vote?
Anyone aged 18 or over, who is living in Britain and is a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen will be able to vote in the referendum. British citizens who have lived abroad for less than 15 years will also be able to vote but may have to apply to be an “overseas” voter. Although members of the House of Lords cannot vote in general elections, they will be able to vote in the referendum.
There was some argument about 16 and 17 year olds also having their say in the referendum but unfortunately, although the House of Lords had planned to allow younger people to vote, MPs rejected the amendment in a vote that won 303 – 253.
This means that the majority of our school will not be able to vote. However it is important that we are informed on the debate as we can influence our family members (who are of voting age) and possibly even tell them something they didn’t know about the debate.
What is the question on the ballot paper?
The official question on the ballot that was proposed by the Electoral Commission and which MPs have agreed upon is:
“Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”
So what does this really mean? How will our decision affect the UK?
The main issues that will be affected by the result of the vote are:
- Immigration
- The Economy, Business and Trade
- Sovereignty
Immigration
At the moment, as part of the European Union, any British national can get a job or permanently live in any of the other 27 countries which make up the EU. Everyone who is a citizen of any of these 27 countries can also, of course, do the same in the UK.
Michal Szudzik, a Polish delicatessen owner, was asked if he thinks Polish Immigration is good for the UK.
“If they can find the work, and they work, not claim benefits, I think that’s okay because, you know, there is demand.”
Some people in Britain were questioned by the BBC. Some people think that immigration is a good thing while others are against it.
“We need to get out of Europe, if you ask me… then people can’t just walk in, the door is not just freely open to anyone.”
“Everybody should be able to come and work for a living, if that’s what they want. That’s what we are about, really, the UK, welcoming everybody.”
Even Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP , has admitted that immigration has its advantages.
“Immigration can be good, but we shouldn’t have an open door to huge numbers of unskilled workers.”
The Economy, Business and Trade
Norway has rejected EU membership in both the 1972 and 1994 referendums. Katherine Kleveland, who is against the EU campaign, explains Norway’s stituation as a country that is not part of the EU but is part of the Schengen Area. Being part of Schengen Area means that anyone from the EU can live and work there. Around 16% of Norway’s population is made up of migrants.
“We had a lot of scaremongering about losing jobs. They said we would lose 100,000 jobs by standing outside the EU, but every single day since has shown this was false”
Staying out of the EU means that some businesses located in Norway have to pay a tariff to trade with EU countries. Roger Hofseth, the owner of a salmon processing company in Norway would rather pay these tarrifs than become part of the EU. He knows how it is outside of the EU but if they join, he is unsure of what will happen.
“I have been very constant in my belief that I think that we should stay outside. It’s like saying, you know what you have but you don’t know what you’ll get.”
Jurgen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK is for staying in the EU.
“44% of our trade is done with the European economy. Why would we want to cut that off?”
In a BBC News Special, host Nick Robinson made the point that “there are lots of successful economies which are not part of the EU”. This occurred during a debate between Jurgen Maier and Helena Morrissey, who runs the fund manager: Newton Investment Management. The CEO of Siemens UK went on to explain that Norway is different from Britain and we will not necessarily get to trade on the same terms as Norway.
“Norway is Norway and Britain is quite different. I actually remember coming to the UK in 1974 when we were the sick man of Europe, and look at the progress this country has made in the last four decades, as part of Europe.”
Sovereignty
If Britain decides to stay as part of the European Union, it will share some of Westminster’s power with the rest of the EU. If Britain leaves, all authority will belong to Westminster. A lot of power in Europe is held by the European Commission. Every country in the EU has one Commissioner and they have the right to propose new EU laws. The Commission cannot set Britain’s tax rates, health spending or defence policies. It can, however, suggest trading rules, farming subsidies and environmental policies. Although the European Commission suggest these laws, it is the European Council that actually decides which suggestions become laws along with the European Parliament.
The European Parliament is the only directly elected part of the EU. Britain is represented by 73 of the 751 MEPs. Although this is the third largest national grouping, some people think that Britain has simply given away too much power from Westminster. John Redwood, a Conservative MP, is one of these people.
“We’ve given away our right to self-government, so instead of the people you elect to Westminster being responsible, being allowed to do their best and you can get rid of them if they make a mess, you cannot change any of these things because they have been settled in Brussels by 28 countries, and there is no chance of getting 27 other countries to agree with us, that we need to change them.”
Alan Johnson, Labour MP, disagrees. He compared the current situation to the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014.
“The argument John Redwood was making was being made by Scots last year, saying if we leave the United Kingdom we could have control over our own affairs. Our argument was, if you are part of something bigger, you actually gain in Scotland and the whole of the UK would gain as well.”
So now that you know what some other people think, hopefully you can make your own decision. But remember, there is still time to hear other opinions and get more information, before you make your mind up. Don’t forget to vote or tell your family to vote on Thursday 23rd June, as every vote counts in this referendum, which could have such a huge impact on our future.
